Best Thinkpad Laptops to buy this 2018

Working in IT industry for many years, Thinkpad laptops never fails me to get the job done, with it's military-spec build quality, excellent keyboard, accurate track point, and outstanding reliability.

There is plenty of business laptop brands out there, but nothing comes close to Thinkpad when it comes to quality.

But of course, not all Thinkpad models are the same. Some have better performance, while others have longer battery life. Taking considerations of different factors, I compiled list of recommended Thinkpad laptops depending on your personal priorities.

"The best business laptop that is almost perfect."

Pros: Excellent built, Outstanding durability, thin and light, excellent keyboard, solid performance, beautiful screen, great battery life, quick charging

Cons: Expensive

The Thinkpad X1 Carbon has everything that you need, incredibly durable, thin, light, rapid charging, excellent keyboard, beautiful screen, and great battery life. All of this without sacrificing performance and reliability. But of course, this great features comes with really expensive price tag.

From the name itself, the laptop is built from carbon fiber. The material is very durable but also lightweight and has high temperature tolerance. That's why the material is very popular on aerospace and military.

Battery life of X1 Carbon is very competitive, it can last from 8 to 15 hours (depending on how heavy the usage is) of continuous use over Wi-Fi. Although it doesn't support extended or non-removable batteries like the T470 and X270, X1 Carbon has rapid charge technology that brings the battery up to 80% charge in just 30 minutes of charging.

X1 Carbon has all the excellent features for an ultrabook without sacrificing any of its performance. The laptop is powerful and reliable enough to handle multiple productivity tasks, this includes some heavy and serious usage.

Thinpad X1 Carbon is so close to be the perfect business laptop. It has everything that we both want and need. Durable, thin, and light with no trade-offs to performance.

Recommended for: Executives who travels a lot.

"Portable but Powerful"

Pros: Portable, Outstanding battery life, excellent keyboard, solid performance, availability of modern ports

Cons: Slightly heavy for a 12.5" laptop

Thinkpad X270 is a combination of portability, performance, and power.

The portability of this laptop is perfect, 12.5" inch is not too small but not too big either, it leaves plenty of room in my bag or table. The build is as solid as its performance. Speaking of performance, don't let its size fools you. X270 can handle demanding multi tasking and intense productivity tasks without stuttering.

Despite being small, X270 has all the modern ports that you need for almost any office tasks like USB 3.0, HDMI, and RJ45.

Thinkpad X270 is recommended for road warriors who does long travels. Aside from being portable, it can last 13 hours of continuous Wi-Fi usage using extended 6-cell battery. It's also supported by lenovo's Power Bridge technology that let's you swap removable batteries without powering down the machine.

When you need a small size business laptop that can perform like a standard 14" notebook. The Thinkpad X270 won't fail you.

Recommended for: People who travels a lot and wants more space in their bags.

"Thinnest and lightest X200"

Pros: Portable, lightweight, beautiful display, excellent keyboard, solid performance, availability of modern ports, rapid charging

Cons: Average battery life, no more extended battery support

In general X280 is like X270 with better display and ports available. It is also the thinnest and lightest X200 series laptop so far. Although it doesn't have the extended battery life anymore, X280 can still last up to 8 hours of continuous usage over Wi-Fi. That is still good enough as all day battery life, but not recommended for long travels without charging. Anyway, despite of the absence of extended battery, Lenovo makes it up with rapid charging technology.

When it comes to X280's performance, it is still as reliable as X270 which can handle multiple productivity tasks without any signs of stuttering.

Thinkpad X280 is a good alternative to X1 Carbon if you are looking for a portable, lightweight and snappy business laptop that is not too expensive.

Recommended for: Executives who wants more portable laptop.

"The General Purpose, all around, productivity powerhouse."

Pros: Outstanding battery life, excellent keyboard, solid performance, plenty of available modern ports

Cons: Dim screen, average sound, average webcam quality

The best choice as general purpose Thinkpad. A powerhouse when it comes to productivity, T470 combines solid performance, comfortable keyboard, and outstanding battery life with extended battery (17 hours). When it comes to weight, it may not be the lightest laptop, but it's bearable enough to carry for long travels. The price is also decent compared to more expensive premium laptops like X1 Carbon.

T470's main strength is its outstanding battery life. A laptop recommended for long travels, It can last 17 hours of continuous usage over Wi-Fi with extended battery. The notebook is also supported with lenovo's Power Bridge technology that let's you swap batteries without powering down. Now if you think the extended battery is too heavy for you, its built in 3-cell battery can last up to 8 hours of continuous use. Still a good choice for lighter travels.

Another reason why T470 is a productivity powerhouse is because it has every ports that you generally need like USB 3.0, Thunderbolt port, HDMI, RJ45 LAN, and Media card readers.

Finally, when it comes to performance, T470 can handle heavy multitasking while keeping you productive at work.

Recommended for: Those who wants a standard general purpose Thinkpad that gets the job done.

"Ultimate mobile workstation"

Pros: Massive computing power, Beautiful 4K display, excellent keyboard, VR Capable

Cons: Average sound quality

This Thinkpad laptop is a beast, it is made for multiple highly demanding tasks such as CAD, vector graphics editing, or video editing. And yes, you can play the latest PC games with it, not to mention that P71 is also VR capable. If you are an engineer or graphics designer, the performance of P71 will never disappoint you. The 17" inch screen is both sharp and beautiful thanks to its 4K display. You will really appreciate the details when watching 4K resolution movies.

Of course, expect that this laptop will be heavy due to its beastly specification. And all of those high end specs comes with really expensive price-tag.

Thinkpad P71 is for those who got lots of cash and needs a mobile workstation with massive computing power.

Recommended for: Engineers, graphic designers, game developers, or any profession that needs serious computing power.

"All day battery life beast"

Pros: All day battery life, massive computing power

Cons: Dim screen

Thinkpad P51 is for those who wants smaller all day battery life laptop with high end graphics card and processor. It may not have the same computing power of P71 but it can still handle demanding CAD, vector graphics editing, or video editing smoothly.

Recommended for: Engineers, graphic designers, game developers, or any profession that needs high end specs laptop with all day battery life.

"The best business productivity tablet"

Pros: Amazing built tablet, outstanding performance, beautiful display, excellent available accessories

Cons: Not as good as it is without its accessories, below average battery life without the extended battery.

The best thing about this tablet is the available accessories for it. First one is the Thinkpad precision keyboard that comes with trackpoint and touchpad, this accessory also serves as sleeve for the tablet. Pen pro is also available to let you draw on the tablet. If you are not contented with the tablet's battery life, you can attach productivity module that double its endurance, it also adds extra ports to your tablet. For presentations, there is presenter module that adds projector capability to the tablet.

Moving to performance, X1 tablet is capable to execute multiple productivity tasks continuously. If what you do doesn't need large amount of computing power, this tablet is more than enough.

Recommended for: On the go professionals who creates and does a lot of presentations outside office.

"The best 2-in-1 business laptop"

Pros: Impressive battery life, solid performance, beautiful sharp display, thin, lightweight

Cons: Expensive

Thinkpad X1 Yoga is the holy grail of 2-in-1 business convertible laptop. Just like X1 Carbon, you will never be disappointed with its solid performance, impressive battery life, and fantastic keyboard. But the best thing of all that separates X1 Yoga from other Thinkpad model, is the ability to transform into different modes such as tablet which makes it more than a business laptop. It is also supported by built-in pen that lets you draw accurately on the touch display. You will also be amazed by the number of ports that it has in such a small package.

In-case money is not a problem in your end, Thinkpad X1 Yoga is another good alternative to X1 Carbon, if you prefer something that can be converted into other forms beside being a simple laptop.

Recommended for: Road warrior executives who prefers 2-in-1 business laptop.

"Recommended entry level Thinkpad for small to medium scale business."

Pros: Affordable price without sacrificing overall performance

Cons: No modern ports like USB Type-C

E470 is the choice If you want the standard Thinkpad but on a tight budget.

When it comes to built, E470 has Thinkpad classic using heavier, slightly thicker, and less durable housing compared to its premium counterpart like T470. But don't get me wrong its casing is still tougher than any other business and consumer laptop brands.

Despite of being an entry level laptop, E470 still has an award winning Thinkpad keyboard that is both comfortable and silent to use and precision trackpoint that is still better than your typical touchpad.

E470 maybe cheap but its performance is not. Just like any Thinkpad models, it can handle multiple productivity tasks without compromise.

If you are a small business owner or someone on a tight budget that needs a reliable laptop, Thinkpad E470 is the right choice. You get more of what you pay for with its affordable price.

Recommended for: Small to medium business owners on a tight budget.

"Entry level 13" inch all day battery Thinkpad"

Pros: Great battery life, excellent keyboard, plenty of modern ports available

Cons: Dim screen, not as affordable

Thinkpad 13 is a good companion for someone who needs an all day battery laptop. It can last 9 hours of continuous usage over Wi-Fi so no need to worry if you stumble upon area with limited charging outlets. It is also portable and lightweight enough to be carried all day.

When it comes to productivity, Thinkpad 13's performance can handle multiple productivity tasks without a problem. The precision of the keyboard is snappy and responsive, while the trackpoint is accurate and well placed. This laptop is also supported by multiple modern ports so you won't have a problem connecting to most commonly used devices.

Recommended for: Professionals or students on a budget who needs an all day battery laptop.